During the Covid 19 pandemic, government policies greatly influenced the patterns of energy worldwide. The policies included closing borders, restrictions on local transport, and confining hundreds of people in their homes. All these restrictions also affected greenhouse gas emissions.

Many businesses have closed down except for the food and drugs businesses. This represents only a glimpse of what life in the US can turn out to be if the Covid 19 situation continues. 

However, as much as we can never celebrate anything to do with the pandemic, there are some benefits that have arisen from the frequent restrictions. The increase in CO2 emissions has been reduced by a small percentage.

Here are some highlights on the co2 reduction during the pandemic and how covid 19 majorly contributed.

CO2 Emissions Decrease

Before the pandemic and during the last decade, co2 emissions increased each year by 1%. The spreading pandemic has greatly affected greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, China being the highest co2 emitter, experts estimated that the co2 emission has reduced by 25% in China. 

One of the reasons why the co2 emissions have been reduced in China is because many industries that are responsible for the emissions have closed down due to this pandemic. The lockdown measurements imposed in different countries globally also were a major reason why co2 emission decreased. For instance, the UK first introduced the lockdown measures in March. The results: the CO2 emissions were reduced by 13%.

In India, the co2 emissions were already below normal because of their hydropower energy production and the economic turmoil they were causing. So, in India, the decrease was not new to the country.

However, to the rest of the world, the decrease happened when the co2 emissions were on the rise. The CO2 decrease in 2020 is recorded in the first half of April when the Covid 19 restrictions were already at their peak.

In addition, the emissions caused by industrial sources like metal production, manufacturing, and chemicals also decreased by a third following the Covid 19 situation.

The transportation industry, which was one of the culprits in co2 emissions, was also halted during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the burning of fossil fuels was reduced, subsequently reducing the levels of co2 emissions. 

This was seen not only in the automobile industry, but the aviation industry was also hit hard by the pandemic resulting in a sharp decrease in CO2 emissions. This rounds up the whole fact that the transportation industry also increases co2 emissions greatly.

For years there have been measures to try and curb the co2 emissions globally, but most of them were too slow to take effect, or they never worked at all. One of the main reasons why the co2 emissions are reduced globally is because the burning of fossils was finally halted worldwide by the Covid measures.

CO2 Emission are on the Rise Again

The reduction of greenhouse gas during the first half of 2020 is something that most scientists do not encourage people to celebrate. This is because after the reduction of the gas was lower than expected, and therefore, the increase would come back stronger.

Earth system expert says that the decrease is slighter than expected, and thus a rebound will happen. These experts set to record the daily increase or decrease of greenhouse gas.

In this case, experts were tracking the carbon emission journey during the lockdowns sourced their information from energy reports, weather reports, traffic data collected from various navigation systems in the world.

This fact has provided a clear lens on the great challenges that most countries will face with their fight against climate change. The shocking truth, according to the United Nations Environment Program estimate, is that most countries will have to reduce their carbon emissions by 7.6% annually. However, all is not lost; researchers other researchers argue that most governments, along with putting up with the challenges bringing their economies back on the feel, will help in curbing CO2 emissions.

The reduction took place because of collective responsibility

The different percentages of the CO2 emissions reduction were due to the forced collective responsibility that the world was forced into. If the 7.6% drop in CO2 gas emissions has to be reduced, then there needs to be substantial and collective responsibility worldwide.

One effective weapon against global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions that the world should learn by now is that there needs to be a collective responsibility by everyone.

Renewable energy and electric automobiles can help in further reducing CO2 emissions

Since normal automobiles currently are a major point of fossil fuels. When fossil fuel is burned, there must be a carbon emissions rise. However, there are incentives that are looking to reduce carbon emissions by introducing electric automobiles. 

Electric motor mobiles are very efficient in the fight to curb carbon emissions. Renewable energy is also another excellent way to reduce carbon emissions. These new technologies to curb greenhouse emissions and overall global warming are better than using the Covid restrictions that are available.

The new technologies are not a hindrance to the economy and the daily lives of people. There is hope towards the reduction of CO2 emissions because researchers are still gaining knowledge on technologies and various investments that will not hit the economy hard, but they will help curb CO2 emissions worldwide.

For instance, renewable energy such as solar energy reduces emissions, but the energy is super-efficient compared to fossil fuel usage.

What we need to know

The Co2 increase emergency, which is the main reason for climate change, is just the same as the Covid emergency. However, the co2 increase emergency is slower but graver than any other pandemic. If nothing is conducted and the CO2 increase is regarded as an emergency, grave consequences will face us globally. 

We also need to understand that the recession-related decrease of the co2 emissions is not really going to help with the effective reduction of the CO2. This is why we need to come up with better ways that will help curb CO2 emissions worldwide.

The Covid emergency is slowly vanishing, and most governments are looking for ways to reclaim back the economy, which is one of the main reasons why the co2 levels keep rising. Therefore, we need to find and design other policies that will lead us to a greener economic recovery.

Also, collective responsibility, as we have learned with the forced Covid standstill, is a major element towards creating a global greener economy. If one region is focused on the reduction of these greenhouse gases, while another region is reluctant, then our efforts will totally be in vain.

Renewable energy has to be taken seriously now more than ever. The Covid standstill only resulted in the greenhouse gas emissions reduction, which was lower than expected. Considering that over the years, the levels of CO2 emissions were increasing by 1%, if we want to reduce the amount further by more than 7.4%, we need to be more active in the reduction of these gases emissions.

The Covid-19 pandemic restrictions such as lockdowns are not enough to make them a plan to end the co2 emissions rising. As stated, we as humans need to find better ways that will not torture people’s mental minds and torture their economic lives. Actions as individuals are really needed to try and curb the increase in CO2 emissions.